This is one of the first novels that Drew Hayes wrote, and like all of his other work it is completely different from his other stuff. The basic premise is that three people have won a cash prize and an all-expense-paid vacation from a burger joint contest. The catch is that the money and “vacation” is in exchange for the winners to be in a promo commercial for their new “Island Burger.” They are supposed to participate in a local island ritual to release a trapped god. No one thought the ritual would succeed. It did… sort of…
Our three contest winners are Clint, April, and Falcon. Falcon Rainwater is an older woman who kind of looks like a hippy. She’s all about nature and respecting the gods and local culture. We learn her backstory eventually, and her final moments in the book are kind of badass. April is a college student (biology, I think, but I might be wrong.) She is skeptical, but she goes along with everything because she has student loans to pay. She does grow throughout the experience, but it doesn’t seem like we get to know her as much as the others.
Clint Tucker is an interesting character. We spend the most time with him as our main protagonist. He has decided that his path to contentment (not happiness) is through not having any desires at all. He’s seen where the desire for money and power (and love?) gets people, and he wants none of it. He has a very…transient job, so he doesn’t form work relationships, and it seems that he has no friends. He gets along well with his neighbors, though. He is actually a very sweet and likable guy.
I think my favorite is Thunder. He is the son of the owner of the burger joint, and he goes on the trip as well. Thunder wears pink polos and flip flops with bottle openers in them, and he sounds like a surfer dude. He’s happy, though! He is strangely insightful at times, and while his backstory is strange, it makes some sort of weird sense, and it does put some pieces in place. His philosophy of life is one that more people should adopt, at least to some point. I can see why Drew Hayes sometimes claims Thunder to be one of his favorites. (It also explains his occasional posts from Thunder Pear Publishing, a very strange company.)
The way theology works is interesting, and it also makes sense. I’m not sure if I like the outcome for one of the characters, though. It was still good, but just not my favorite. Overall an enjoyable read, and a good start if you want to check out a Drew Hayes novel without a series!
